Police have sued 4,000 unnamed garment workers over vandalism and clashes with law enforcers in Gazipur's Konabari area.
A Gazipur court on Friday sent 11 arrestees to jail, who were held by RAB and police on Thursday, in one of the cases.
Abu Sayed, sub-inspector of Gazipur Metropolitan's Konabari Police Station, filed the case mentioning the names of 12 workers, including the arrestees, and 3,000-4,000 others unnamed on Thursday night.
On Wednesday, SI Sanir Hasan Khan of Konabari Police Station filed another case accusing 6,000-7,000 unnamed people.
Authorities have announced the closure of nine garment factories for an indefinite period in Gazipur's Konabari area due to continued worker unrest, protests and vandalism by rejecting minimum wages.
Apart from this, 22 more factories are closed, said the Industrial Police.
The Garment factories which have been declared closed indefinitely are -Kaiser Knitwear, MM Knitwear, Mondal Fabrics, Cotton Club, MB Fashion (Ananta Garments), Emma Syntax, ITLS Fashion, Ripon Knitwear, Islam Group of Industries Limited and Tusuka Processing Limited.
In accordance with Section 13 (1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006, it has been decided to shut down all activities of the factory for an indefinite period until further work is ordered in order to protect the safety of the factory officials-employees and workers, factory property and life.
SI Sayed said the workers ransacked the Tusuka factory in Konabari, demanding a wage hike.
A car of a deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police was also vandalized in front of the factory. At that time, the police arrested 11 workers of different factories from the spot. Attempts are being made to arrest those involved in the incident by collecting the CCTV footage and video from the spot, he said.
Tusuka Factory General Manager (GM) Masum Hossain said that if a favourable environment is created, the opening date of the factory will be informed to the workers. Apart from this, in connection with the death of a woman worker of MM Knitwear Limited in Konabari Ambag Road and Islam Group in Konabari Jarun area, all the activities of the three factories of that group have been declared closed for an indefinite period.
Additional Superintendent of Police of Gazipur Industrial Police Zone-2 Imran Ahmed said that they have information about the closure of 22 factories in Konabari and surrounding areas of Gazipur.
Workers passing days in fear
On the condition of anonymity, some female workers said: "We don't understand when the movement started, how it started." Just run to one side if there is trouble. Now we heard that a case has been filed against thousands of workers. Whoever will be arrested, he/she will be made accused. We have not committed a crime, but we are still in fear.”
Talking to several workers, it is known that due to continuous worker movement, vandalizm and worker-police clashes, counter-attacks, the situation is at a standstill in Kashimpur, Jarun, Konabari, Ambag and Bhogra areas of Gazipur city.
The workers are in fear of arrest due to several cases filed in connection with clashes. They are also worried about joining the work after the opening of the factory. Most of the workers involved in the movement are young, many are single. They don't care much about their jobs. But those who are the sole earners of the family are spending their days in worry. Specially the middle-aged male and female workers are in trouble. Many of them are in fear of arrest even if they are not involved in the movement, said the workers.
Many people including Abdul Aziz and Jabbar Mia, traders of footpaths in Konabari, Kashimpur, Ambag and Zarun areas, said the lives of small traders also have been affected due to the movement.
“We trade seasonally, sometimes on the sidewalk, sometimes in a van. to run away in panic. If the factory does not run properly, our business also suffers.
BGMEA’s directions
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has issued four directives including stopping new recruitment in garment factories following the ongoing labor movement on Thursday afternoon.
A copy of the directive signed by BGMEA Secretary General Faizur Rahman was sent to the media.
The directives include stopping all new recruitment in all garment factories. A banner should be hung at the gate of every factory with the word “recruitment closed”. Factories where arson, vandalizm or clashes have occurred, the factory authorities should file a case with the nearest police station along with pictures and video footage as evidence. In this case, if the names of the accused persons are not known, the case can be filed against anonymous people. Besides, the owner of the factory where the workers enter the factory and refrain from working or leave the factory has been asked to close the factory according to the provisions of Section 13 (1) of the Bangladesh Labour Act, 2006.
In the latest directive, it has been said to send photographs and video footage (if any) of incidents of vandalism, arson or fighting in factories to BGMEA.
Over the last two weeks, workers demonstrating for a minimum wage of Tk 23,000 clashed with law enforcers in Gazipur, Savar, and the capital's Mirpur.
On October 30, garment worker Rasel Howlader, 26, died after Gazipur Industrial Police personnel allegedly shot him at close range, and on November 8, Anjuara Khatun, 28, a sewing machine operator of Islam Garments in Gazipur, died of gunshot injuries after police opened fire on protesters.